Welcome to "The Line Between"

A newsletter about life through the lens of making things.

Hi! I’m Coleen Baik, an artist, designer, and writer based in NYC.

This post is an update of the original Introduction, and a complement to the About. As The Line Between (TLB) evolves, I occasionally update both to best reflect latest vision and framing. This is a Substack Featured Publication.

TLB is a newsletter about life, and process—the how of going from day to day. I use art as a vehicle for talking about stuff, because I see parallels between practice in the studio and everything from crossing the street to relationships to mental health.

Almost every issue begins with a reflection or provocation, often followed by images both moving and still. You might see pages from the sketchbook, animation behind-the-scenes, experimental vignettes, photography, giclée printwork, snippets from essays-in-progress.

There are no tutorials or technical run-throughs. Think of TLB more like a letter from a far flung friend who happens to be an artist. I do occasionally write articles that skew a bit more technical, which I’ve published on Medium in the past.

You can expect about two newsletters per month. Hopefully you get it in your email Inbox or read it via the Substack app. Check your SPAM or Promotions folder if you’re not receiving it. Better yet, add me to your contacts to ensure regular receipt 🙏

I occasionally also send out a secondary newsletter called Ruminations. These live in an experimental space in the publication that I introduced in late summer 2022, and it’s where I talk more casually about what feeds and informs my work: books, films, exhibits, NYC gems, pastries, politics.

I try to provide a lot of my content for free, but hope you decide to support it financially. Member subscriptions help me pay for:

• film festival submission fees

• investments, like a laptop

• music licensing

• studio equipment (lights, turntable for phonotropes)

• supplies (paper, watercolors, printer cartridges)

• software (Adobe Creative Cloud is not cheap)

And while members do occasionally get extras, like bonus issues and goodies (see the About Page for specific free/paid tier benefits), I hope the real reason you pay for TLB is because you enjoy what I share, and want more of it out in the world.

For those can’t commit yet, I always welcome coffee ❤️

TLB is for everyone, not just animators, painters, and poets. I love connecting on a personal level; talking about what I make is just a vehicle for—I hope—interesting conversation, community, and growth.

Welcome.